Bullying Issues
by Mute Liar
Summary: Jaune Arc has a bullying issue. Not a severe one, but in Velvet's case, he felt the need to try to do something. Which is how he ended up trying to comfort the poor girl. What could go wrong? A realistic tale of how these two could get together. Cover art by Exvnir. (DISCONTINUED)
1. Chapter 1

Jaune Arc was a man of simple tastes. He wanted to be a Huntsman. He wanted to find a lovely woman to have a family with. He wanted to eventually die happily with his love as his legacy as a hero became a beacon for his kin. So, helping a girl with a bullying issue was simple, right? Something along the road of his greatest goals...

Well, the problem was simple on paper. The paper didn't include all of the complicated bunch of factors like his crippling anxiety when it came to talking with strangers. Especially the extremely beautiful ones.

_Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet._

He was beginning to believe those words didn't hold the same weight he'd originally thought.

Velvet Scarlatina was a stranger, yes. A potential friend he hasn't interacted with yet, yes. A crying girl who was his upperclassman, was not something he took into account for his first impression. If anything, he expected a shy, meek girl, which was sort of on point.

She didn't make it very far. She may have been out of sight, but he heard her muffled cries from not too far away. She hid herself in some shrubs, likely because she wouldn't make it to her dorm before breaking down into tears.

He was relieved he didn't kick off with a very crappy pick-up line. Especially since it'd be an inappropriate choice of words for the current situation. He stepped closer towards her and moved a few shrubs for some space.

"You okay?" he asked. Velvet kept hiccuping, but her pained, slightly miffed glare made it clear it was a dumb question. "Sorry, I uh, I'm not very good at this sort of thing, as you can probably tell."

She stared at him, dumbfounded. Hey, he never claimed to be great at first impressions, but at least he was distracting her from the pain, right? Maybe?

"I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc." He held out his gloved hand, which Velvet refused to shake.

"What...?" she coughed up.

"I'm-"

"No!" she blurted. Jaune recoiled and took a half step back. Her gaze relaxed and her faunus ears drooped. "Sorry... I just, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you here," she clarified. "If your family or yourself has been bothered by faunus, I'm sorry, but-"

"Don't be sorry," he cut in. Velvet's eyes finally met his and remained that way. "You can't help being what you are. And I honestly believe they don't have a good reason to torment you like that. Nor does anyone for that matter. You seem like a nice girl."

"And how would you know that?" she spat. Her knees met her chest as she pulled them closer, holding them tightly as comfort. She hid her face, but it was evident she'd been crying quite a lot. He noticed the tears and their trails.

"Because you're here. In Beacon. A place where aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses come to learn and train, bond with comrades before they become professionals. It's a dangerous line of work, as I've been told. And no ordinary person would make it this far to be a hero."

It didn't seem to be enough for her, if her silence was telling. She refused to look at him again.

"If anyone, the real monsters are them."

Her ears perked up a bit.

"Like I said, we're here to become heroes," he continued. "We wish to protect people from the creatures of darkness, being the light for those that cannot protect themselves."

"Why are you here?" she reiterated. It wasn't enough for her then.

"Mind if I sit for this one?"

She refused to answer before tilting her head a bit, indicating she wanted him to do so.

"I have some trouble with them too. And I just wanted to assure you that you've done nothing wrong. I stand by my point how you don't appear to be the type to go out of her way to become one of them by using violence. I know you're a year above us, but I respect how you didn't utilize your combat prowess against them."

"You actually understand?" Velvet no longer averted her gaze. She met his eyes again, but gave partial attention. "My team keeps lecturing me about how I need to put them in their place before something besides me does. Something worse like Grimm..."

"Maybe that's exactly what needs to happen. I don't wish for them to get mauled, but I don't think humiliating them would mellow them out, it'd just damage their pride and make them take it out on others like myself."

"E-Exactly." Velvet raised her head and wiped away some tears on her cheek. "And I don't want that kind of attention."

"It's best to just keep your head down and avoid that kind of conflict," he added.

"Yeah... So, you really are on my side..."

It was more of a statement than a question. He was sort of relieved he's managed to get through to her, but worried it actually wasn't enough. He could tell she was still a bit skeptical of him. Her mind appeared to be wandering through many thoughts, her head in a cloud of words.

He couldn't help but admire how she looked. Unlike Weiss, she had this sense of maturity and elegance that wasn't on a different level, but more of a variant. She wasn't fancy, but more welcoming with that aura of hers. His cheeks flushed, and he broke his gaze when she turned to look at him.

"I-I'm Velvet... Velvet Scarlatina." Her limp arm was held out.

"I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc."

* * *

**I am very mixed with this. Maybe it'll be a one shot, maybe it'll be a story if I take the time to form a story out of this. Regardless, I was interested in making a realistic story where Jaune and Velvet grow and become a couple.**

**Though I don't know the two entirely. I based part of this on an encounter of my own.**

**Well, the future will show the answers.**

**Cheers.**


	2. Chapter 2

Jaune was screwed. His head lowered into his hands, muffling a prolonged groan. His legs hung over the edge of the roof, allowing specs of debris from the soles of his feet to fall to the ground. This could not be happening. Out of everything, he was expecting an injury to end his dreams of becoming a Huntsman. He'd managed to handle the difficult part of convincing his family he got a stable job in Vale rather than the truth. His father never approved of his dream, with how abysmal his performance was during his short-lived training.

Why did he have to screw this up with Pyrrha too? His only ally in this just left him to his lonesome self. Was he going have to face the music and just accept it? There's no possible way he could keep up with Cardin's demands for him to keep his secret. Blackmail never ends well, and he'd never go to extreme means to silence Cardin.

"What am I gonna do...?" He felt pathetic. Crying like this...? This wasn't the time to cry. He needed to think, prepare to take action. Anything besides this...

His fist slammed against the concrete beneath him. He let out a frustrated sigh and prepared to help himself up. He was surprised and almost jumped when a firm grip was placed around his wrist just as he stood up. His head whipped around and his eyes darted towards a terrified expression. Velvet's gaze pierced his heart. He felt her audible, warm breaths against his neck as she looked at him directly in the eye.

"Jaune..." Her voice was strained. "I know we barely know each other, but please take a step back."

He didn't even notice she came up here... Why was Velvet so distraught? Did something happen again? It couldn't have been Cardin; he was just here. Was she in the need to discuss something? He really didn't know her that well, but was she that desperate to find someone to confide in? Was there nobody else for her right now? Who was he to say no? She clearly needed help. And he already went out of his way to help her before.

Jaune obeyed her request and stepped away from the ledge. She refused to release her grip however, and didn't take her eyes off him. She kept ushering him over toward the door, not even looking away from him until her back met the wall. Velvet's lips parted, she looked as though she was at a loss for words.

"Would you... like to talk?"

"I should be asking that, Velvet."

The pair sat down and leaned against the hard wall. Not the most pleasing feeling, but it could be worse he supposed. Jaune crossed his legs as Velvet pulled hers against her chest like she did when they first spoke together. Now that there was nothing but silence, he managed to get a good look at her legs. He averted his gaze quickly, feeling his heartbeat get a bit faster.

"So what's bothering you?" he asked.

Velvet's eyes widened. "You were about to kill yourself!" she exasperated. "You only get once chance at life, you idiot! Aura isn't going to do the trick all the time! There's nobody there to save you last minute at every instance-"

"Velvet," he forced out. He caught her off guard. When he looked back on it, he realized it did look like he was about to jump. With how upset he was while looking at the ground looking all melancholic. "I'm not trying to kill myself. I'm so sorry for making you worry, but... I'm not _that_ upset."

She did her best to regulate her breathing. She finally managed to pace herself, then lightly punched his arm. Her eyes were closed and she faced the area before the both of them. "Sorry for assuming. But I stand by how it looked like a serious situation when I first came up here." She looked back at him with a comforting look. "So what's troubling you?"

"Oh..." Jaune grimaced. He wasn't sure if he should tell her. He was expecting to hep Velvet again, not for it to go the other way. But given how he was alone, and how he'd assumed Velvet was about to do the same... It couldn't hurt to be a bit vague, right? "So I have this friend-" She gave a telling look. "_I_, have done something bad. It wasn't fair for someone I haven't met, and now it's coming back to bite me in the back."

Jaune inhaled and let out his deep breath. He felt Velvet's gaze on him, silently and patiently listening. "And it may very well make me look like a bad person. I mean, it'll ruin my life and completely change your opinion of me."

"I'm more unbiased compared to your friends Jaune, so I think you're better off telling me. I at least care, and my emotions won't cloud my judgement or anything. It's not like you killed someone," she joked. He let out a weak laugh. "So, what happened?"

"I..." He bit his tongue. "I lied."

Her eyes squinted. "About...?"

"I don't belong here." He stood up, and recalled what not to repeat. "I forged my transcripts and lied. I cheated my way in, Velvet."

Velvet stood up too, but Jaune stepped away from her. "And now Cardin knows," he continued. "Any day now, I might be in jail for lying and it'll end everything. My dreams, friendships, and my ties with my family." Not that they weren't shaky already. He braced himself for scolding, and tried to suppress his anger in case she tried assuring him it was okay.

"That's it?"

He faced her. "Yeah..." His fists clenched.

"I know I may sound disinterested, but I prefer to see the worse picture in scenarios. I know it's quite pessimistic, but you grow to those ideologies when you're a faunus. I'll be honest; I don't know what you should do. I personally believe you can find the right answer, but this is a bit more serious than I'd expected."

She held her fingers against her chin and held her elbow in the palm of her hand. She looked lost in thought. "Did you make your transcripts yourself?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well that's rather peculiar..." He gave her a puzzled look. "Think about it; this is one of the most prestigious Huntsmen academies in all of Vale. In all of Remnant. And do you actually believe you'd managed to get in through fake transcripts that you made? You don't exactly look like a professional forger."

Jaune's mind began to race. Had he gotten in by through carelessness? Did the staff actually know he lied? Did they see some sort of unbound potential within hm waiting to be unleashed? He soon perished the thoughts for something more likely.

"I'm not entirely sure of your whole situation, Jaune." Velvet placed an arm on his shoulder and gave a small smile. "But I'm sure we can figure this out. I'd rather go over this more somewhere less chilly. And somewhere more relaxing than some rooftop outside."

"Yeah, sounds good." He felt at ease with her assurance. Was this how she felt when he first talked to her? It's been a few days since then, and the two haven't interacted that much after the whole ordeal. Yet, it was comforting to know Velvet was willing to lend an ear. And not mother him...

"Velvet," Jaune realized. "Why did you come up here anyway?"

She stopped in her tracks and continued to face the door. Her hand had reached for the handle and remained there.

"I was going to do something that's now foolish. Thank you for helping me realize that, Jaune."

He didn't understand what she meant by that.


	3. Chapter 3

"Do you wish to continue studying here?" Velvet asked. She held her mug up against her lips with both of her hands. Her elbows rested on the table before the both of them. Jaune sat across from her, holding his own cup of hot cocoa.

"I wouldn't have lied in the first place if otherwise," he said. He sighed and lowered his mug, watching the dark contents within it with tired eyes.

"Well," Velvet mimicked his action. "I believe you should continue to improve with your training and academics. Go along with whatever Cardin demands so long as it's not too serious, and either Cardin will forget about it, or you'll be exposed, but have prove you deserve your place here as a potential Huntsman by then. Prove your character and have the staff dismiss the forged transcripts accusation as a petty joke."

"And if they check my transcripts?"

"Then you'd better pray you've done a damn good job with forging them." She placed the tips of her fingers against her lips. She appeared to have been surprised by her own words. "Sorry…"

"No, it's fine. After discussing it with you, I doubt they'd overlook something so crucial. They had to have thoroughly gone through it." He eyes narrowed. "I was worried about the references involved, but they must've had no need to contact them."

"What about your parents? Do they know you're here?"

Jaune grimaced. "I lied to them too. Told them I got a stable job in Vale."

Velvet shifted uncomfortably. "What kind of hole have you dug yourself into?" She scratched the back of her head as she stared at her mug.

"One that's not too bad with you stuck with me," he joked. Velvet's ears perked and her eyes darted over to him. "Sorry, was I too negative by mentioning you? I didn't mean to suggest I'd prefer to share my misery."

"Hm? Oh, no. Not at all…" She lifted her mug again and brought it to her lips. "What about your team?"

"My partner knows. I lashed out on her." Velvet gave a look. "I need to apologize when I see her, I know that…"

"I think she'll understand… It's Pyrrha, right? She seems to be really nice…"

"Yeah, that's her. My complete foil. Smart, hard-working, and she's got a nice set of abs for a woman. I mean, look at these puffy slabs of flesh right here." Jaune pinched his stomach for emphasis. Velvet gave an amused look.

"I'm not sure what to do about Cardin," she conceded. "If it were me in that situation, my team would probably intimidate him into leaving me be."

"Did it work?"

"Jaune…" she warned.

"I kid, I kid…" Jaune adjusted himself. "He's not bothering you anymore, is he?"

"I think he got the message when a gun was held to his crotch."

Jaune laughed at the absurdity of the words. Though he did feel a chill down his spine when Velvet looked like she wasn't joking. He didn't have the guts to confirm it. He also noted not to upset her.

"I could always do that if you want…" she offered.

"Pointing a gun at his balls?"

She stood up, leaned over, and punched his arm. She gave a toothy smile with a devilish look. His heart flared.

"You know what I meant…"

"I know," he admitted. "I'd feel like I'd be stooping to his level if I were to do that though. Maybe I could just, best him in sparring or something. Show him I'm not to be mess with."

"And display your overflowing levels of masculinity?" Jaune's amused look did wonders. "Are you not that good?"

"I'm practically a toddler flailing a beheaded doll around out there."

"That's quite specific, Jaune…"

"My youngest sister had an interesting choice of weaponry."

She barked a light laugh. The two finished their drinks. She stood up to return them, but Jaune stood up as well. She swatted his hand away and shushed him when he tried to object.

"I'm not some child, you know." Jaune blurted. She tilted her head.

"You and your lack of abs say otherwise." She pretended to swoon. "Oh, I can picture how you valiantly hid how winded you were by simply raising the mug. No, no. Just your arm itself… Oh the horrors."

"Why can't you always be this assertive?"

"Why can't you?" she shot back. "I believe you just caught me at a bad time," she explained. "I mean, I was in a vulnerable state. Normally, I'd just wait for the immature ones to be done with whatever shenanigans they plot, but it was more of a sting because…" she trailed off.

"Your heritage?" he guessed.

She nodded. The two sat back down.

"I suppose, because you've seen me in such a state, I can talk to you. One fool to another, in a way," she went on. She turned her head slightly to the side as she smiled. "Plus, we're not discussing my whole life or anything. I hate being the topic of a conversation. It's just that some things strike you harder than others. It's my heritage in this case. I wouldn't normally go out of my way to meet new people, but I'm not introverted to the point I'm socially awkward."

"You're not welcome in my club then."

Her eyes narrowed. "Your club?"

"The club for the socially awkward. President Arc here. A pleasure, milady." He stuck out his hand.

She played along. "A pleasure." Jaune was reminded of how strong she was. Her firm grip wasn't as strong as earlier, but she was under the assumption he was suicidal at the time. He could feel the calluses she had from vigorous training. He was tempted, but knew he'd lose in an arm wrestling match.

"Anyway, you mentioned you've got some issues with fighting?"

"I'm better now," he added. "Pyrrha has been a great teacher. She's been helping me out so that I could improve."

"Hm." She leaned on her arm and nodded. Her eyes locked into his whenever he looked at hers.

"And now I can actually wield a sword properly with the correct stance," he went on. "Although I'm beginning to wonder if I'm going to be as good as her."

"Well why is that?"

"I feel like I haven't improved drastically. I still haven't even beat Cardin. Even though he telegraphs his attacks and everything…"

Velvet's eyes narrowed. She appeared to be pondering. "You make rookie mistakes, obviously. Have you been corrected on them?"

Jaune thought hard on that, trying to dig up his lessons. "She'd always show me what she does whenever I make a wrong step or when I behave incorrectly while cornered."

"Do you think she mothers you?"

Did she? Not that he thought about it…

"Does she assure you you're doing fine whenever you seem down about a mistake?"

Maybe...?

"Has she gone over your personal strengths? Or recognized them?"

She hasn't…

"I think she hasn't considered you're…" Velvet froze, deciphering Jaune's silence and his mixed expression.

"I'm not disrespecting your partner," she hurriedly said. "I bet she could take me on in a fight, and I don't think the training you've done has been a waste. It's just that…" Her eyes seemed to have softened. "How much training have you had before you came here?"

"Very little…"

"Have you considered using a different weapon? Unless you're comfortable with it, I'd suggest something else. Your body type suggests strengths in other categories as well... You use a sword and shield like she does, right?" He nodded. "What is your ranged option?"

Jaune coughed and looked away, refusing to meet her gaze. Velvet appeared to be contemplating.

"Would you like me to teach you how to use a firearm?" Jaune's eyes glowed. "I happen to have a spare sidearm I use whenever I don't use my primary weapon. It has limits, you see."

"Why help me?"

She shrugged. "As your upperclassman, I believe I should do what I can. Range can determine a lot in a combat scenario. Plus, if anyone, I believe I could help. Besides those that are proficient with a small gun, my semblance allows me to copy the movement of people. Of course, there's some holes I have to fill, such as how to properly aim a gun. I once used a sniper rifle and needed someone to teach me the basics such as calculating the trajectory of the bullet and breathing exercises to keep my aim steady."

"That's really kind of you, but…"

Jaune winced. He really didn't want help, but remembered how foolish he'd been with Pyrrha before, which ended with him hurting her feelings.

"Of course, you have your team. If anything, I think you should talk to them about your predicament. And properly explain yourself to her."

Jaune wanted her guidance, but would that be betraying his team? His friends could teach him, but he was held back by bothering them. Velvet's like a blank slate though. She could help and wouldn't mind, not to mention she was experienced. Maybe he could see how much he could improve under her tutelage.

"I'd like that. But I'd rather repay you with something besides my gratitude."

Her small smile grew.


	4. Chapter 4

Velvet analyzed Jaune's form. It lacked the flexibility she preferred, but knew he was probably better off with defense over evasion, hence the shield and longsword. Offering her time was out of instinct, but in the mind she knew how the weakest link was what got teams killed. And when the weakest link survived perilous ordeals, it was even more of a difficult sight to behold. She didn't want to see another ideal boy go through that...

She needed to see how flexible he was, how long he could last in a fight in terms of endurance, test his strength... There were plenty of ways to tell how suited you were for a certain style, but plenty of Huntsmen trained and conditioned themselves for their fighting styles.

Jaune has had little training though, so he was sort of a blank canvas waiting to be painted on. She brandished her own wooden blade for sparring and adjusted to its weight.

"Jaune," she called out. "That was good. Now, I want you to attack me. Come at me like you would anyone in a fight. Go all out, I can take it. Focus entirely on your offense for now."

Jaune nodded. Audible breaths made their way to her ears, both pairs, alerting her he was a bit tired. Still, he was warmed up.

He stood with his back straight and stared at her. He took a step closer which she responded to with a defensive stance. His first strike was aimed at her left shoulder, which she parried. She must've put too much force into it, with how he stumbled a bit back. She wasn't able to properly gauge his strength.

"Again," she demanded. "Keep going until I say otherwise."

He did. His battle cries showed he was getting into it. One relentless attack after another. He hit pretty hard for a guy with his frame, but he was a bit sloppy. He wasn't putting enough weight into his strikes.

At one point, Velvet drew a sharp breath as her aura kicked in. She'd managed to react to his sword striking her ribs. The blade she held had broken, allowing Jaune to get an unintentional strike on her. A clean one.

"Velvet!" he cried. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees when her legs grew a bit weak.

"I'm fine," she muttered. The attack didn't catch her by surprise, but the blade snapping did. She defended herself properly and anticipated the attack. "I'd forgotten you were using your weapon. It was my fault, I used this stupid thing…" She nudged the training tool. "Let this be another lesson of sorts. The maintenance of your equipment is essential. What you do afterwards however, is vital. When on either side of a blade, you must adapt and adjust."

She stood up and grimaced. She stretched her arms over her head and let out a weak cry. She should've warmed up herself…

"I see…" Jaune retrieved his weapon and sheathed it. The shield with mecha-shift was a surprise. Not because the sword lacked any modifications, but by how old fashioned it was.

"Are you certain about your equipment?" Jaune looked up, confused. "Not the quality, but the style if requires of you."

"I'm certain," he answered immediately. "This heirloom has been passed down onto me from previous generations. And I want to follow those footsteps."

Velvet's mouth hung. She found his desires… questionable, to say the least. Yet, she didn't want to provoke the boy. Instead of speaking, she walked over to the bench near the bleachers and picked up her camera.

"Say cheese!" Jaune's shocked expression was priceless. He slightly fumbled and held the weapon against his breastplate, making a clink of metal against metal. She scanned the screen with her eyes and found it satisfactory. She held out her hand and Jaune watched in awe as the frame of Jaune's sword formed. She pointed it at him and grinned.

"Think fast!"

Jaune did, but not perfectly. Velvet took off with a burst of speed. Her light copy met Jaune's sheathe. He drew it clumsily as it transformed into its shield form. Jaune lowered himself and held his blade up towards her with his elbow above his shoulders. The emblem on his bright shield caught her eye before she struck again.

Her weapon complimented her semblance perfectly. Mimicking someone's fighting style and weapon was an effective weapon that caught many by surprise. The downfalls were how she had to vigorously train her body for the strain. A benefit of her heritage, she supposed. A normal person wouldn't be able to handle the stress. The dust needed to operate her weapon was expensive as well. The weapons she summoned could only remain in one form unless she had multiple photos.

And lastly, the time limit. She could only use a photo for about 60 seconds before it was burned. About 30 remained as Jaune tried to parry her heavy attack. With how much he was defending, he must've been trying to look for an opening. She didn't give him the opportunity though. A part of her wondered if he caught on to her little show.

Jaune dropped to his knees, using his sword as support to keep himself up.

"Alright then, that'll do." Jaune groaned as he watched her weapon vanish. She offered a hand which he took. She hoisted him up and placed her hands against her hips. "So, how do you feel?"

"Like a champion…" he coughed.

"With how aggressive I was, I'm surprised you lasted for so long."

He muttered a thanks between breaths. She lightly chuckled and walked back to the bench. She picked up two bottles and tossed one to Jaune. She regretted it when she realized her hands were kind of full.

"Oh, sorry." She bent over and picked it up. "I've got an idea of how long you can last... Your defense is good, but swift attacks are able to overwhelm you. Your footing could use some work... and I noticed you were trying to counterattack… Did you catch on to a certain something?"

"I can recognize when you're mirroring my flailing style, thank you." Jaune smiled and placed his weapon down. He chugged half of the bottle within two seconds. "If only I were that quick, I'd have Cardin down within seconds."

She thought of at least 4 jokes she could've said, but refrained from acting on her urges.

"Once you've caught your breath, would you care for a proper spar? I've got an idea how you'd act on offense and defense. It's best if I get an idea how you act in a proper fight." She checked her scroll. The meters were still in green. "We have enough aura. Let's say… we stop once someone falls to 30 percent?"

"Don't you mean me?" he joked. He placed his hands on top of his head and breathed deeply. She jumped a few times to warm up her legs.

"I won't use my weapon, but I will treat this like a proper fight. Huntsmen need to know how to fight without their weapons, after all."

He nodded and stretched his arms a bit. She noted how he could use an equipment upgrade. If he was going to go all out with the knight getup, he'd need a bit more armor on his left arm. Perhaps some gauntlets as well. Not to mention how his blade looked a bit dull. Maybe the two could use the workshop after firearms training.

It was their day off, so normally she'd be doing her own training, but this was quite fun. It was fulfilling in a way; being the superior one. She was often in the shadow of her own team…

Plus, Jaune wasn't too bad. She was happy that he seemed to be a good guy unlike a few unsavory individuals. He was a bit quiet, but had a good sense of humor. She was sure he'd get along with her team. Well, Coco was a whole different story if you're just meeting her.

"We won't do too much today, but I'll suggest a few regimens for you. Building muscle memory is just as important as your fitness."

Jaune nodded and took his weapon off his hip. He adjusted it along his arm and drew his blade. Velvet made her way to her spot as Jaune did to his.

Velvet held up her fists, signaling she was ready. Jaune responded and came at her. He delivered a strike right at her forehead which she caught. She felt her aura surge within her hands as she pushed more force into it with her legs, overpowering him. He took a few steps back and raised his shield. She played along and charged, throwing an axe kick he blocked and retaliated. She kicked off it and landed. Jaune was right there though and caught her landing.

He charged, shield bashing her which knocked her back. She almost lost her footing, which he acted on. He took a large swing which she evaded by allowing herself to roll away. He kept coming and swung. His attack connected with one of her wrist guards. She went for a strike with her free hand, only to be blocked by his shield.

Velvet grabbed his blade, something foolish in a real fight, and yanked on it, stealing it from Jaune's grasp as she lowered herself and swept beneath Jaune's feet. He almost fell had he not caught on to her trick. She thought his shield blocked his vision, but realized her body movement gave away what she'd intended.

She tossed his sword away and watched as he stepped back a bit. She lightly bounced off her heels, ready to use her acrobatics. To her surprise, Jaune returned his shield to its sheathe form and placed back on his hip.

He must've known it was foolish. She was more experienced in hand-to-hand combat. His behavior was noted though. She wanted to learn what he'd do disarmed.

She made her approach and jumped over him, spinning in the air until she landed. She caught herself by squatting, then exploded, allowing her to propel herself forward. Jaune fell on his back. She adjusted her positioning and caught his arm, threatening to twist it.

"I yield," he said. Velvet released her legs from his arm and turned herself around as she stood up.

"I understand a shield would've slowed you down against a flexible fighter…. Perhaps I should've done the firearms training with you earlier so you could've made use of it against me."

"Now we know for next time, then."

Velvet hopped off the stage and picked up Jaune's sword. The weight was suitable for it's model, and the handle's leather was a bit worn. This weapon has seen its fair share of battles.

"Thanks," Jaune placed the blade back in its place within the sheathe. "It's not much, but I can tell I'm feeling better already. Thanks, Velvet."

"It is my pleasure." She smiled as she sat down with him. "Have you talked with your partner yet?"

Jaune's face darkened.

"Ah, you haven't I take it?" She decided to change the topic. "You want to know how I discovered my semblance?"

He eyed her. "How?"

She giggled. "When I was a kid, I admired the characters in all sorts of video games." Jaune's face grew a smile. "So, as a huge fan, I'd mimic my heroes. When my older sisters played against each other, I'd try to reenact the fight with my dad. I actually delivered a proper uppercut that lifted him into the air with me." Jaune did his best to suppress his laughter. "Once, for Halloween, I dressed up as one of them and started copying their ultimate attacks. I happened to hit puberty early, so I was a tall kid. And while I was out, some children believed I was the actual character."

Jaune barked a laugh. "I take it you couldn't nail the voices though?"

"Unfortunately, no. My mother's an amazing tailor, but neither of my parents could teach me how to voice act."

"Still, that's quite a way to find out what makes you so unique…" Jaune's eyes began to glow. "I take it your dad was surprised about how you managed to copy the move?"

"He didn't find out until the next day," she laughed. Jaune tilted his head, confused. "I executed it perfectly; I hit him so hard that I knocked him out. We had to take him to the ER!"

"You were quite the troublesome kid, weren't you?" She punched his shoulder. A part of her recalled her earlier memories with her family. She really missed her mother's cooking…

"Well what about you?" she asked. "Any memorable stories to share from childhood?"

"When you grow up with seven sisters, you've got too much to hide. And yes, seven. I get that look a lot." Velvet tried to process the info. "Yeah, I've got way too much blackmail material against me though. That's all I'm gonna say."

"Now that's unfair!" she balked. "You can't pique my interest then try to dismiss it!"

Jaune lightly laughed as she wailed on his arm jokingly. "How about a trade then? I share something, and you share something. You judge on the embarrassment level."

She shook the hand he held out. "Deal."

"Alright, let's see… Nothing demeaning, but enough to get a laugh out of you…" Jaune pondered as he rubbed his chin. Similarly to how she thought. Coco was quick to point out any tells she had. Yet she couldn't figure out what they were! It was futile to try to lie to her…

"I've got it." He adjusted his posture and shifted himself to face her. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his scroll. He searched through his library and expanded a picture. She scanned over it, but didn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

"It's just your family by the looks of it."

"Look again. I have seven sisters…"

She looked again. His father and mother stood out. She didn't notice Jaune though. "Wait…" She counted. Eight girls besides his mother. "No…" Jaune laughed a bit when he saw she was putting the pieces together.

"Try to find me, I dare you. They really are my sisters if I can blend in so easily. One of my guy friends pointed to me in the picture and asked, 'Is this one single? Cuz she is fiiine'." He exaggerated the last but by changing his tone.

Velvet started to howl with laughter. She couldn't figure it out!

"Well Jaune, it looks like you're sexier as a woman."

"So I am at least sexy in your eyes?"

"Don't try to play smart when you have such lavish feminine charms. I'm afraid I don't swing that way, Joanne."

Jaune put his scroll away. "Alright, enough torturing me. Your turn to suffer. Now spill."

"Wait, you've got to share how you agreed to that kind of photo, and how your folks did as well. Did your parents think you felt more comfortable as a woman or something?"

"My dad thought I wasn't straight at one point, but that's another story. You've got to make it even first."

Velvet sat back and leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes and tried to conjure up something. Nothing that stood out came to mind though.

"I think I've got something…" Jaune leaned closer, listening. "I used to have this little notebook. My older sisters, two of them by the way, twins. They would curse often, so my parents started a swear jar. And to rub salt into the wound, I used a notebook to jot down all of the curse words I learned from my sisters. And before I came here, we went over the whole thing, and the two couldn't even recognize half of the words I've heard from them."

Jaune laughed a bit, but caught on to something. "Wait, that's funny, but it wasn't the slightest bit embarrassing for you at least."

"Point is, I got you to laugh. Now come on, we're training some more."

"Boo…"

Jaune stood up and followed with little protest. Velvet grinned.

"I've decided." She turned to face him with a devilish smile. "You can thank me for my tutelage with more stories about the shenanigans you got into as a child. The funny, humiliating, embarrassing ones of course."

Jaune's whines grew as Velvet's laughter did. She didn't notice his small smile though.

* * *

**Longer chapter, but don't get used to the length or the fast update.**

**So yeah, I'm trying to shape some more personality within Velvet. Obviously, I'm basing her on my own friend since I know very little about her canon personality. It'll be slow, there'll be problems for them to handle, but that's just reality within a work of fiction.**

**I'm afraid I didn't have time to proofread it. Life hits you when you least expect it and I'm still grieving over a mistake. I had this whole list of words I didn't know that could replace words like "said" and "like", but I deleted it by accident. I must've spent two hours on that, but hey, at least the chapter's still in one piece.**


	5. Chapter 5

Jaune thought Velvet could be pretty adorable at times. She really got past her hesitant tendencies once she started talking about something she was truly passionate about.

Which made her love for weapons a bit intimidating sometimes. She held a huge sniper rifle like it was nothing in her hands with an energetic grin. She held the thing like it was some toy, but treated it like her own child.

"This was so hard to get; despite being a huntress in training the paperwork to get my hands on this was insane."

He understood her point. Despite training to be huntsmen, there were a lot of regulations for weapons, aura... The list was surprisingly long to him. A weapon was still a weapon. And brandishing a firearm around Vale wasn't exactly allowed. Unless it was mecha-shift or concealed. But those had laws as well that were particularly harsh for students.

"Barrett M82... 50 caliber..." Jaune felt his head tilt as Velvet began to drool a bit. "This cost a lot, but it's worth every single lien."

"Aren't you more focused on melee combat?" he asked.

Her head perked up. "Oh, well I actually really like sniper rifles. My uncle got me into air guns which was partly why I wanted to be a huntress. Plus, my team really needs a reliable long-ranged option. The scope can help with scouting purposes as well."

"So did you just get this? Like, recently?"

"Yeah, I wanted to show off a bit." Her rabbit ears drooped a bit as she swung herself from side to side a bit as she held the rifle against her like a baby. "Would you like to see it in action? We could head to the cliffs by the Emerald Forest and take out some grimm. I've got something you can use to help me spot."

"So it's like a training lesson in sniping?"

"Ah, er, sure! That too. Heh..." She skipped toward the exit. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Two hundred meters away..."

"That's like nothing."

Velvet pulled the trigger and Jaune winced again at the noise. The recoil pushed Velvet back a little bit, but she knew how to handle the monstrosity of a gun. Jaune was her spotter of sorts. She mentioned how it would be good for him to have that knowledge for any sniper or if he wanted to use one himself. Being versatile was important after all. The basic first aid she taught him would be vital in the future. Although he knew Ren would be an expert compared to him. His team really was amazing...

"Hit confirmed..." Velvet turned her head and gave a huge grin. "Look at you; you've gotten the hang of this."

"It's using the actual gun that worries me."

"Doesn't that Ruby girl use a sniper?"

"Way to deflate my ego..."

She punched his arm. "I'm just saying you shouldn't be too scared. I mean, what you're really going have to worry about aiming this thing at an actual person." She paused.

"Have you ever done that?" he had to ask.

She looked down before looking through her scope again. "Grimm spotted. I believe it's about six hundred meters away. Confirm."

Jaune mentally smacked himself before searching for the grimm. He adjusted the scope and spotted a deathstalker about that distance away. "That oversized scorpion by the boulders, right?"

Velvet's breathing hitched. "No... I was referring to the..." She cut herself off. "I think I see it. Jaune, I want you to look about... another fifty meters west."

Jaune began to feel a tingle down his spine. He could understand Velvet's slightly anxious tone. He saw a pack of beowolves sniffing the air. Something else caught his eye though.

"Could you look back at the pack, Velv?"

"Pack? Of what?"

"The beowolves."

"That's not what I spotted earlier..." Velvet looked back at him and he lowered his tool. "I thought it was odd for this many grimm to be near the school but... Jaune, I think we've got an issue."

Jaune didn't have the time to ask what she saw. She gathered the magazines she used and picked up her rifle. "We need to report this. There'a a whole wave of grimm not even a mile away from the school approaching at a high speed."

Jaune obeyed and moved.

* * *

He wasn't familiar with the alarms at the school, but a possible invasion of grimm was obvious. He noticed a lot of students he didn't recognize with various kinds of weapons. Velvet stood beside him as the headmaster approached the stage with haste.

"Students, it has been brought to our attention that a large horde of grimm had been spotted in the Emerald Forest. However, I bring some lighter news. The alarm that was sounded suggested an invasion. I can confirm we are not in immediate danger. Beacon is not under attack."

A flurry of whispers rampaged around Jaune. He could feel how uneasy the atmosphere was. He turned his attention to Velvet; her face was blank and calculated. He directed his attention back to Ozpin, looking as patient and unreadable as ever.

"The grimm were heading in our general direction, but they are going past us, as reports from the staff have mentioned. We are constantly being updated on the situation. While I cannot say with certainty that we are safe, I can assure you to ease yourselves and be prepared. More details will be provided by Professor Goodwitch as I see to this problem myself. Thank you, students."

"Gather your equipment, everyone!" Goodwitch called out. "We must not let this perturb us! You're all here to-"

Jaune didn't hear the rest of it. Velvet had slipped away unbeknownst to him. He noticed her make her way out of the auditorium. He chose to pursue her. As the sunlight assaulted his eyes, he dug through his pocket for his scroll. He dialed in a few numbers.

His team wasn't picking up, nor was Team RWBY. He wasn't sure why, but scoffed as he returned his scroll to its place. He caught Velvet heading towards the dorms. Her dorm by the looks of it. The students were separated by their year.

"Velvet!" he called out. She didn't notice him. She broke into a run before she disappeared into the building. He recalled her room number as he followed. He wasn't sure what Velvet was up to, but he feared the worst. "Velv?"

The door to her room was open. He noticed she was digging through her closet before she went for the drawers. She didn't seem to care he was there, or was oblivious to his presence. She looked worried, and he wasn't sure why that was.

"Velv-" He grabbed her wrist. She struggled and broke free with relative ease. "Velvet," he said with added force. "What are you doing?"

She didn't answer. She averted her gaze as she took out some vials of dust he didn't recognize as well as a few memory cards by the looks of it. She attempted to trudge past him, but he didn't allow her to. He stood at the doorway. She finally looked up at him. Her face flashed plenty of emotions ranging from anxiety to anger. Her breathing was a bit off and her shoulders visibly rose and fell. She scoffed before barging past.

"Velvet!" He jogged after her.

"Don't," she forced. "Don't you dare tell me to not go. My team..." She stopped herself. He heard a few muffled cries before she turned to face him. Her eyes were a bit red. "They're out there, and there's no way am I letting you stop me."

"Who said I was stopping you?" Jaune intensely stared at her. "I know we're not supposed to just head in there with no intel nor a plan, but I'm certain that-"

"You understand where I'm coming from, right Jaune?" she hissed. "I know you're aware. I don't mind being picked on, I don't usually mind when my opinion is invalidated, but this is something I am not willing to give up. I'm going to get my family."

"By rushing into a the depths of the afterlife?" he pointed out. "The teachers-"

"Aren't enough-"

"They're far more capable than you!"

Jaune froze. He must've struck a nerve.

"I just," she sighed. "I just can't... sit and idle."

Jaune shifted.

"I'm coming with you. My scroll is on, some teams I know can-"

"No." She glared at him. "No Jaune, you can't do this. I can handle myself, but you have no experience in this sort of scenario. Rescues are dire and cannot have liabilities."

Jaune stepped back. He growled before he stepped forward. "I am not a burden; I am not going to stand here as you go and get yourself killed, Velvet. I refuse to be the coward that stays behind, alright? I know you care about your team. I've got two capable teams ready to meet us at wherever we are if things go haywire. Now are we going together or not at all?"

Velvet pursed her lips.

"Ever stolen a bullhead before?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Admittedly, last chapter wasn't perfect. Nor is this one, but I believe it to be an improvement from what I originally had planned.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Velvet explained to Jaune how her team were testing Coco's new ammunition. Something along those lines; he only gave half of his attention as he watched her pilot the Bullhead. He didn't know where to begin with all of the gauges, buttons, and switches, but Velvet appeared to be unfazed by the sheer amount of contraptions with purposes Jaune could only guess.

It struck Jaune hard when he realized just how much she cared for her team. He'd probably do the same; recklessly charging into the danger of hordes of Grimm rather than let them fend for themselves. As potentially cruel as it sounded, Jaune didn't care all too much for the rest of CFVY. Not on the same level as Pyrrha or Ruby, but it was enough for him to keep a level head.

As Velvet handled the controls, Jaune placed his hand on her wrist. She glanced over at him and he responded with a fierce look and a subtle nod. She directed her attention back at the clear airspace. Jaune looked back down at Velvet's scroll, focused on pinning the exact location of CFVY's beacons. He discussed with her any ideas he had for how they should approach this, but most of them were rebuffed due to the circumstances Velvet pointed out.

"Perhaps you could set the Bullhead in hover mode and snipe from here as I help your team on the ground?" he offered. Velvet's thumbs rubbed the tips of the lever, her leg slightly fidgeting as well. "I know you're far more experienced, but I can't exactly offer sniper support and pilot this thing with practically no idea on how to utilize either. We may need to make an escape as well."

"With the amount of Grimm I can see from even up here... it'd be difficult to get low enough, especially with all of those trees in the way." Velvet's eyes scrunched up. Her breathing was a little uneasy. "Can you handle yourself down there?"

Jaune nodded.

"The comms aren't working either," she winced. She looked down at her scroll in Jaune's hand. Her eyes scanned it, before she fixated on the sight before them. "It appears they're just up ahead. You see that clearing? I want you to guide my team over there. I'll offer support from above before I come down once you've reached the end of that dense part of the forest."

Gunfire echoed. The rate of fire suggested it was Coco's gun. An odd chill enveloped Jaune's senses as he leaned forward, feeling drawn to something.

"It's Fox's semblance..." Velvet whispered. "Telepathy; you can tell when he's trying to relay a message to you. We're getting close. Prepare yourself, Jaune."

Jaune unbuckled himself from his seat and adjusted Crocea Mors as it rested on his hip. He gave one final look to her as she nodded, ready to drop him off just above the trees.

Bad time to remember he never did perfect his landing strategy.

* * *

"By the gods, this isn't what I meant with hoping how we'd get some sort of backup," Coco said.

Jaune's rough landing proved to be somewhat successful. He got his first kill for the day by landing on a Beowolf. He hoisted himself up before he drew his blade.

"CFVY, right? Velvet's piloting our means of escape. She'll be waiting at the clearing about a mile from here due west."

He scanned the state the team was in. The taller guy looked exhausted, heaving heavy breaths as he maintained his stance with his large sword. It looked as though he was ready to give in. The shorter one had a few gashes along his arms, but they didn't look deep. The girl, Coco he presumed, was bleeding a bit heavier though. He checked the pouch he had latched on the back of his belt and unhooked it. The two guys moved to strike an Ursa that appeared.

"About time you got here though," Coco spat. "So you must be Velv's little boytoy, huh? Been curious ever since she's been insisting on going out by herself more often as of late." She stifled her laugh as she coughed. "Still think she could do better."

"This isn't the time for that." He took out the bandages and prepared to apply some antibiotic ointment. "This'll hurt a bit." He tore off the remains of her waist cincher and lifted her bloodied sweater up to reveal some nasty wounds on her abdomen.

"You're the first to strip me like this..." she teased. He silenced her by removing one of his belts and placed it in her mouth. She bit down on it when she recoiled from the pain.

"Breathe," he reminded. "You two need any attention?" He didn't take his eyes off of what he was doing, but he could tell how the two weren't going to last much longer.

"We'll be fine," the shorter one said. "We need to get to Velv, right?"

A loud bang echoed in the air.

"She'll be giving us air support as we make our way to the clearing," he explained. "She's armed to take out waves of those things; we just need to get to her before any others show up. She'll be able to handle any pursuers as we try to rendezvous."

"Sounds peachy..." Coco wheezed. She struggled to get herself up and almost fell back on her knee before Jaune acted as a crutch. "Blondie, I want you to make use of yourself and lead us. Act as our spearhead with that sword and shield. Fox! Watch our rear. And Yats, I'm dead weight if I walk. You can carry me."

Yats, as Coco addressed him, placed his sword back on his back and gently lifted her. Fox kept scanning their surroundings as he moved towards them. Jaune activated his shield as he broke into a light jog.

"This way!" he called out.

He set himself at a good pace, careful not to leave behind the others. He was entering the situation fresh while they were fighting for a while. And they were injured on top of that. Before, he would panic at the sight of a few Ursai. Now, he bashed into one twice his height with enough force to knock the creature down. He followed up by hacking at its vulnerable spot: its neck.

The second one went down without much of a fight as well. Another thunderous crack rang in his ears. Velvet must be picking off any pursuers, which made him wonder just how many there were. He couldn't tell if Velvet was missing her shots, but the amount of cracks he heard suggested either scenario was a dreadful one.

So long as they kept up this pace, they'd be able to meet up with Velvet in another minute or so. The situation suggested otherwise. A pack of Beowolves ambushed them; circling around them like the trapped prey they were. Jaune stopped and held out his shield, ready to counter any attack. The one to his left was forced into the one beside it from the power of the bullet that struck it. He saw the Bullhead in the air, ready to descend at a moment's notice.

The remaining Grimm hesitated, sensing the threat. Oddly, they retreated back into the forest.

"It's far too good to be true for Grimm to give up like that," Yats pointed out.

Jaune felt something eating away at him internally.

"Velvet," he realized. "We need to get to Velvet!"

Coco cried out his name. He could tell they followed him with haste, but he broke into a sprint. A murder of Nevermore began circling Velvet's Bullhead. He knew where those Beowolves were going.

They were going to feast on the remains of Velvet if she were to crash, and the Grimm knew she had to go.

"Shit," he cursed. His legs picked up the speed, the momentum he gathered was leveraged against the Ursa in his way as he popped up his shield. He forced the tip of Corcea Mors through its skull before it could draw another breath. He moved, but fell. The blade was stuck. He abandoned it. He retracted his shield back into a sheath as he held it in his hand, ready to bludgeon anything to death should it get in his way.

The thought of leaving behind the rest of CFVY never crossed his mind.

Jaune roared as the onslaught of cracks came to an end. The Bullhead came down after the Nevermore charged into it, forcing it out of the sky. The sound of an explosion soon followed it. He cried out Velvet's name, fueled by hatred. There was enough for everybody...

He prayed Velvet managed to jump clear. The burning wreckage surrounded by Grimm didn't stop him from going in there, whacking any monster within his sight with everything he had in him. The monsters turned toward him and swiped at him. He clashed with the arm of another Ursa before he followed with a strike to its leg and pounded against its skull before moving on to another Ursa.

Once Velvet's limp form was in sight, he ignored them and bolted for her. He slid along the ground, a few good meters away from the wreckage as he inspected her. She likely managed to jump, but from that height, broke her legs with how disfigured they appeared. She was breathing, but it would be a barrage of pain once she came to.

Jaune cursed to himself again. He wielded his sheathe as he stood up between Velvet and the incoming Grimm. He was covered in blood, luckily not his own. He breathed heavily as he roared again, bringing down his blunt weapon of sorts against the skull of a charging Beowolf. He heard it crack as it came to the ground limp. Two more came at him and brought him down. A third one pounced on him as he tried to push it back, teeth bared with slobber dripping on him as it tried to bite his face off.

He caught a bite with his sheathe, then pushed it off him with his legs. The two from earlier went for Velvet, but he chucked his sheathe at one of them before it could get to her. He tackled the other one to the ground and pounded on it, desperate to kill it. Every ounce of his being wanted it dead, away from Velvet. His head jerked over to his left; the Beowolf his sheathe struck pounced him before he could defend himself. It bit into his arm and continued to crush it, ready to tear his limb from his body as it shook its head. Jaune pooled his aura into it to keep it from penetrating his skin.

Jaune wailed on the Beowolf, terrified he was about to lose an arm. The Beowolf didn't flinch and continued to eat away at his aura reserves. The roar of an Ursa caught his attention as it crept up to Velvet, licking its lips, ready to feast. Jaune struggled and did everything he could to break free, but couldn't. As a last resort, he reached for the scope he had in his other pouch and threw it at the Ursa, hoping to draw its attention.

He'd managed to aggro it, and laughed to himself as he bought her some more time. Enough time for Fox to catch up. Jaune saw him out of the corner of his eye, sprinting towards him.

Jaune laughed hysterically as the second contender to his doom approached. As the Beowolf continued to chomp down, Jaune felt a surge a pain.

His aura gave out.


	7. Notice

**For those of you wondering, this story will no longer be updated from here on out. If you're interested in more content revolving around Velvet and Jaune from me, I can tell you now I intend to publish a tale about the two of them having a child while attending Beacon in the near future. I'm not aiming for the silly drunken marriage tales I see occasionally, I'll be going for a more mature story with themes of struggle and adulthood among others.**

**I'm actually quite sad I'm ending this tale. When I first wrote it, I had ideas I wanted to use, but now that things are far different for me, I'm afraid I've lost motivation for this tale. Nothing new here on this site, but it saddens me regardless.**

**Anyway, this run was interesting when it lasted. I'll be moving forward with other projects though.**

**Thank you for your time and understanding. Hopefully my other works will be able to keep you just as entertained.**

**-Mute**


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